Knocking it out of the Park/Ring/Track
At this point in the year, after hundreds of hours of flying and visiting so many different cities, it can be difficult to be surprised. Kentucky, despite the stereotypes, continues to surprise me. Louisville isn’t a city I would typically choose to visit on my own. The weather isn’t great and these days I’m not that into bourbon. I don’t watch much baseball and horse racing isn’t my scene – I don’t have the hats for it. When the opportunity came to visit for an event, I still couldn’t pass it up. And once again, Kentucky proved that its culinary talent extends beyond 17 herbs, spices and high cholesterol.
My first night in Louisville I visited the Mayan Café. Why not try Mayan food? It isn’t a genre I’ve had much experience with before and the reviews looked good online. Once I arrived, I quickly discovered the reviews were off base. It isn’t good. It’s fantastic. The empanadas, black beans, house-made strawberry-basil soda, the masa patties with great fresh vegetables on top were all wonderful. The passion behind the food and attention to detail was evident throughout. And it cost significantly less than a meal at a chain restaurant in California.
The second night I went for Cuban. I had not had good Cuban since I was in Florida and Fidel Castro died. The Cuban restaurant was packed, with only seats available at the bar. The food was, again fantastic. The tamale tasted fresh with a pico de gallo salsa and fried plantains. The black beans and rice were flavorful and so different from the bland tastes I’m used to at home. And again the cost was minimal compared to restaurants on the West Coast.
The long days of flying can be tough. And the constantly changing time zones, meeting new people and starting discussions about new technology seldom comes easily. The perks of exploring new cuisines and places helps make being away from home a bit more palatable. It is tough to miss cooking a meal at home when you have Mayan food that tastes so good. It is also an inspiration when I am at home to venture out and learn to cook new foods and play with different flavors. I may not be able to recreate the dishes from Louisville, but it sure will be fun trying to get close.
